This invention relates to rosette ribbons, ribbon badges and the like and a method for making the same. Specifically this invention relates to laminar rosette ribbons which are made of layers of material and which are made by pressing in a die.
Prior art rosettes have generally been constructed from pleated or looped ribbons, such ribbons comprising textile material such as rayon, nylon, acetate, silk and the like. The ribbon heads are formed by pleating or looping a ribbon either by hand or on specially designed machines. The pleated or looped ribbon is secured to a backing to give rigidity to the ribbon head structure. One or more ribbons or streamers are then secured to the ribbon head to form the finished rosette ribbon.
One example of such a prior art rosette ribbon and the method for making it is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,587,294. In this particular construction the rosette or badge is made in the form of a flower. The flower is made by folding the ribbon and securing the edges of the material by stitching them together with a thread. The rosette ribbon head petals are made by folding a number of ribbons and stitching the folds together. Finally, after the entire ribbon head has been made a plurality of ribbon streamers are attached thereto.
Methods have also been provided in the prior art for manufacturing appliques and the like and wherein a resilient compressible thermoplastic layer of material is located between a decorative surface layer and a base layer. Such appliques are made by bonding the surface layer to the base layer in selected areas by compression of the resilient thermoplastic material which is located between the surface layer and the base layer. In these applique structures not the entire thermoplastic compressible layer is compressed. Rather the thermoplastic layer is compressed only in selected areas or zones whereby the surface layer is bonded to the thermoplastic layer and to the base layer in these selected areas. In the remaining areas located between these bonded areas the thermoplastic material remains resilient and uncompressed whereby the applique includes resilient compressible padded areas. The resultant structure therefore comprises a raised resilient design which is filled with a padding layer thus producing a resilient padded three dimensional applique article. Such an article is inherently flexible and would be unsuitable for use as a rosette because it would not have sufficient inherent rigidity nor would it have the desired appearance of a rosette ribbon. It is therefore desired to produce a rosette ribbon which has the appearance of a three dimensional article but which is inherently rigid and self supporting.
The rosette ribbons constructed in accordance with the prior art methods were both complicated and expensive due to the cost of the materials involved as well as the cost of the labor required to make the rosette. It is therefore desired to provide a rosette ribbon which is simple and inexpensive to construct, uses a relatively small amount of material and is pleasing and attractive.
It is furthermore desired to provide a method for manufacturing a rosette which is versatile whereby a variety of sizes of rosettes can be manufactured by the same method. Lastly, it is desired to produce a rosette which is not only low in cost but which is sturdy and durable.